Here at Gard, we affectionately call our team of public relations and public affairs account managers and associates the A-Team. We like to think it’s a fitting moniker for a host of good reasons. The biggest one? They’re the best at what they do.
Just recently, we’ve added a few new faces to the A-Team. Here’s a little more about each of them.
Kate Gillem – Kate joined us an Account Manager after working as a communications director and spokeswoman in the Oregon State Senate, where she managed crisis and communication strategy through multiple legislative walkouts. Her decade of communications experience also includes running her own consulting business, which found her ghostwriting for state senators, a congressman and nonprofit clients. When she’s not on the Gard clock, Kate can be found at her sewing machine or outside with her family taking walks, blowing bubbles or playing at the park.
Keyry Hernandez – An avid writer whose first taste of journalism came in high school when she launched an online magazine, Keyry joined Gard for the summer of 2024 as a Public Relations and Marketing Intern. She graduated from the University of Oregon this year with a degree in journalism, something she pursued throughout college by writing for the Daily Emerald, the WOW Hall in Eugene and the Clark Honors College communications team. Keyry also did a little deejaying for UO’s KWVA 88.1 radio station. She still likes to wear her DJ hat whenever she can, and she enjoys reading books, meeting new people, shooting film photography and dancing in her room.
Connor McCarthy – Connor McCarthy came to Gard as an Account Manager after five years as an Emmy Award-winning on-air reporter. He worked for NBC News in Los Angeles, ABC News in Washington, D.C., KEZI 9 News in Eugene, Oregon, and FOX 12 in Portland. When he’s not in the office or scanning television networks for the latest headlines, Connor enjoys frequenting Portland’s popular restaurants to see what the hype is all about. An outdoors aficionado, he loves being outside, hiking in the mountains, kayaking the rivers or heading south to body surf in the ocean.